Time Travel Road Trip

By Cactus Jane

One of the most relaxing things to do out here is take in the scenic drives. Cruising from village to village on long highways and county roads creates a zen-like joy. There’s something satisfying about racking up the miles with nothing but mountains and range land in view.

In the Big Bend, there’s hardly ever any traffic, and on some roads, there’s none at all! That’s especially true for roads in Brewster County.

Check out the Visitor's building located on Hwy. 90 in Marathon. There's all kinds of useful info! And be sure to download the Big Bend Audio Tour on your phone! You'll be glad you did.

Highway 385 from Fort Stockton to Marathon is one of the quietest, most serene routes of all – in fact, all of 385 going south offers a completely different experience than most highway driving experiences.

The vast landscapes create the perfect recipe for melting worries away. Driving just never gets old out here.

Tales of the earliest European exploration began in 1581 with the Spanish entradas.

On these indulgent road trips, it’s hard not to wonder what things were like long ago, when there were horses and wagons instead of cars, or even longer ago, back to the days before the first Spanish entradas. Just what is the history of this land?

Visit Big Bend has answers for inquiring minds. They’ve gone all out with roadside stops.

They know visitors are burning up with inquisitiveness about the history, biology, geology and stories of this land. So, they’ve set up 15 beautiful storyboards on roadside pull-offs throughout the county.

When driving, pay attention for places to pull over and check them out. You’ll feel more enriched after learning how the mountains were formed, or what the prominent rock formations are (we know you’ve been wondering!), or learning about the first people on this land and how they lived.

Be sure to check out the signs on U.S. 385 north of Marathon, and trace the route of the Comanche war trail.

The signs are multi-media, with drawings, maps and photos relevant to the stories they tell. Creating them involved artists, scientists and historians, and each one went through lengthy fact-checking.

They make the drive much more interesting, satisfying all that curiosity about this amazing part of Texas. Plus, it’s fuel for the imagination!

The signs are located at great spots to stretch out and take a few pictures.

Another great addition for road trips out here is the Brewster County audio tour. It’s like having a tour guide in the back seat – but it’s all in a convenient, free phone app.

The roadside pull-offs can be good places to glimpse wildlife. This pronghorn harem was seen directly across from signs near Marathon.

Once the audio tour app, called Just Ahead, is downloaded, it works even when cell phones are out of range. Drivers can turn it on and off at will and it picks up based on location – it moves with you!

The guide tells interesting facts and stories along the drive.

Between the roadside signs and the Just Ahead audio tour, a drive through Brewster County is really unique experience. Taking it all in is a good way to make a daytrip.

Pack a lunch, some water, your cell phone with the audio tour downloaded, and bring a camera if you’ve got one! The views are great and you’re set for a day of road travel through time.